Lego Thriller

This could be the strangest thing you see this Halloween.

Dancing With the Mix Stars

This is Stephen from the Arthur Murray Lake Mary studio attempting to kill me.  (Just kidding Stephen!)  Actually he made learning to rumba a blast.  Thanks to everyone who came out for Dancing With the Mix Stars at the Southern Women's Show with our special guest Mario Lopez!  

And now I think I'll go get a massage.

Saddle Up

I didn't see the original (so I can't compare the two) but I really liked this one. May have to see it again.

The Lazy Blogger

Just checking in to see if this thing still works ;-) Anywho...here's the new video from Matchbox Twenty!

Tonks!

This is one of the pictures from the Harry Pottery book release party at the downtown Orlando Barnes and Noble. Great party. Fantastic book. Thanks for coming out!

Live from Universal Studios

I love the broadcast studios at Universal. The picture of the Terminator is inside the broadcast booth. Woody Woodpecker, Curious George and that big red thing-a-ma-bob are just a few of the things I saw just outside the window. The silver Terminator head swoops down from the ceiling and that's what I looked at when I was behind the mixing board broadcasting. Jaws juts out from the ceiling of the other broadcast booth and right in front of him is a swimmer who probably didn't get away - yikes!

Click anywhere on the picture above for a better look at photos.

Blue Man Group

It may not look it but this is a polaroid of me having THE TIME OF MY LIFE at the Blue Man Group show (notice the blue face in the upper left hand corner.) I won't spoil the surprise for you if you haven't seen it but it's a riot. I've never been plucked out of the audience before so this was a thrill/shock - especially since it happened to happen on my birthday. Loved it!

We're Hosting a Movie!

(Dana Taylor and Jeff Cushman on the CW18 set)

Watch Meet Joe Black with us on July 7th!

If You're a Harry Potter Fan...

...you probably already know advance tickets for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are on sale. Just don't forget there's a special IMAX 3-D version of the film and those tickets are on sale as well!

Click HERE for midnight and 3am IMAX showings. Click HERE for all other opening day IMAX showings. (And if I got the links wrong just head to fandango to get your tickets!)

UPDATE!

Mix 105.1 has your tickets to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix all this weekend!!!

The MIX 105.1 - FOX 35 Media Showdown Blood Drive

This weekend we received an email from Mix 105.1 listener Malissa Ehmcke concerning our upcoming blood drive. We hope everyone will consider donating! The blood drive for Florida's Blood Centers is coming up this Friday.

*

Dana and all of the Mix Team,

Good morning. I woke up to your Community Connection show this morning regarding Blood Donations. Thank you for choosing this topic. I have a current story to tell you about how blood donations saved a life close to me. It is even more appropriate since today is Father's Day. My father is currently under treatment for esophageal cancer. Thankfully at this time I can report his treatment is showing great signs of success in winning the war. It has been a long battle for Dad and one that has thrown in many complications.

One complication that has arrisen is he developed a condition called TTP - or Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, but that is a mouthful. It is a rare condition in which your platelets drop alarmingly low and blood transfusion or red cell transfusions do not help the process, it tends to make it worse. It becomes a medical emergency and it was somewhat hard to diagnose in my father since he previously was diagnosed and treated for a condition called ITP - Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, another mouthful - The two diseases have only one thing in common, low platelet counts... The doctors started treating Dad initially for ITP since he had a history of it, however; Dad did not respond to the ITP treatments. This caused his doctors to conclude it must be the TTP. With TTP the treatment that has to be done is a process called plasmpheresis or plasma exchange. They inserted a port, for easy access, into Dad's neck. This was the riskiest part of the procedure, since his platelet count was at 1,000 at the time. When you drop below 20,000 platelets you loose clotting abilty - the normal plasma count should be hundres of thousands of platelets -hence the extreme medical emergency. He could have bled out at this simple procedure, but thanfully his angels were watching over him.

The plasmaphersis treatments began. They hooked him up daily to a machine that pulled his blood out of his body and spun it in a centrfuge to separate the blood cells from the plasma. The plasma is then removed and replaced with "new" plasma that has been donated. One treatment for Dad took roughly 4 hours from start to finish. It varries by person. His platelets rose slowly over the course of the treatments and by the third treatment he was in a safer spot since his platelets had rissen over 20,000. Dad's treatments happend daily and lasted for about two weeks at an average of 10 +/- bags of plasma a day. So approximatly 140 bags of plasma went into saving his life.

Dad has other problems that complicated the condition, but the most important part of the story is that the donations made at blood drives, or to the blood centers directly are simply what saved him. Durring that very stressful time for our family many people asked my family what they could do to help. I had a standard reply. Donate, if it does not go to Dad it will go to help replace what he used from the supply to save someone else.

I attempted to donate plasma myself while I was home (in Louisiana) during this time. Unfortunately I was unable to donate plasma or red cells due to poor veins - the attempt was a bust, literally! The one vein they were able to find blew out so I was not able to make any type of donation that day. They instructed me to wait about a month before I tried to donate again and that in the future to donate whole blood only. I will plan to make time this Friday to donate for the Mix drive.

I issue a challenge to all your wonderful listeners to do the same, DONATE - even if you are afraid of needles, or don't think you can donate, just TRY. When you donate you may never know what a gift your donation turned out to be. If you know nothing else from making a donation know this - for one family it means we get to celebrate Father's Day with my Dad this year when earlier this year we didn't know if he would make it to his 61st birthday.

Thank you for the work you do informing and helping to make Central Florida a better community.

Sincerely,
Malissa Ehmcke

*

Thanks Malissa! Click HERE for more information about the Media Showdown Blood Drive.

Is it Monday already?

This past weekend was my first time spending a weekend in Melbourne. It was hard to come back! (I"m really posting these shots because I think I have a cool camera phone - I'm such a geek.) Anyway, hope your weekend was equally sublime.

Tonight's the night!

Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to launch tonight at 7:38 from Kennedy Space Center. You can read about the mission to the International Space Station HERE. I'll be at Kanes Furniture in Casselberry for a Mix event doing what I imagine most folks will be doing - looking up at the sky. Enjoy the show!

Adam the Working Actor

This is my friend Adam Vernier! He's an actor and is always off doing something cool (that I wish I was doing....) I asked him to post a guest blog with everything he has coming up soon and here it is! (The photo is from the Army Wives set.)

(I pulled this from Adam's bio on his website: Adam started acting when he was only 5 years old when his mother sent in a picture to a radio station calling for a "casting" for a feature film. After many, many auditions, Adam made it down to the finals, it was between Adam and another little boy. They picked the other little boy. The movie was THE SHINING.)




OK Dana, you know how I HATE to talk about myself (lol) but here is what I have coming up:

SYDNEY WHITE AND THE SEVEN DORKS will be released in theatres in AUGUST. I play "REALLY LOUD ALUMNI GUY" in a funny little scene that I think will make you chuckle.

I just wrapped my part in BRING IN ON 4 (working title BRING IT ON: IN IT TO WIN IT) and I understand it will be available on DVD within 6 months.

I play the HEAD CHEF in a BOB EVANS commercial that is currently running (advertising the new chef salad!)

Finally:

I went up to South Carolina to shoot episode 4 of ARMY WIVES on Lifetime. My episode should air in about 3 or 4 weeks. I'll keep you posted.
Love ya mean it...

I hope they figure out a way to incorporate Quidditch

©2007 Universal Orlando. All Rights Reserved.

You can check out the announcement below and read THIS!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

©2007 Universal Orlando. All Rights Reserved.

Just another reason to LOVE living in Orlando!

Hurricane Preparedness

Since hurricane season begins today it makes sense that it's also the beginning of tax-free shopping for hurricane supplies. HERE is a list of items covered. Now is also a good time to check out the AMERICAN RED CROSS list of things you should do now to get yourself and your family ready!

Hope for the best - prepare for the worst, right?

Highlights from Hollywood and the American Idol Finale!

I created a new blog with just Idol stuff that you can check out HERE. You'll find Idol pics and some of the interviews leading up to the 2007 American Idol Finale!

What can I tell you overall about the contestants that I met from this season and from previous seasons? They're talented, fun to be around and smart enough to make the most of the opportunities Idol has afforded them. They're also extremely close and protective of one another. AND...they all like Simon.

I met one of my idols - Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia!) - and chatted about On the Lot. I also spoke to Mimi Rogers and managed to avoid the Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader fifth graders - whew! They were going around quizzing people - I didn't go to Hollywood for that! They were HILARIOUS!

It was a fun four days in LA. Thanks FOX!!

Miracle Strip and Shipwreck Island - if you only catch one you're gonna miss half the fun!

This is the Starliner (Florida's first coaster) from Panama City Beach that's made it's way here to Cypress Gardens. I used to live in Panama City and I remember this coaster. I'm an absolute coaster fiend EXCEPT when it comes to wooden coasters. I jumped out of a plane but I'm scared of wooden coasters. They sound different, feel different and when you're on one you get the feeling that anything could happen (whatever that means - ha!) I recently coerced a friend into tackling Dueling Dragons (he's more of a Flying Unicorn kinda guy but he liked it!) Now it's my turn to quake in my shoes - my nemesis has found me in Orlando. You can read more about this legendary coaster HERE!

See ya there!

Welcome back coach!

Whew - Friday Night Lights will be back for a second season. I was reluctant to watch this at first because, well, I'm more of a basketball gal than a football gal (can't believe I called myself a gal....) Anyway this is a GREAT show. Please watch next season so that I get to watch a third season - ha! Thanks in advance for your help.

Need to catch up on the first season? NBC has full episodes online just click HERE!

We won't be here next week!

That's Carly from Mix Promotions and she and I will be in sunny LA for the American Idol Finale! (I hope she packs more than those two Mix prize packs....) There's no telling who will pop in during our broadcast but I hope I get the chance to grill Simon, chat with Randy, and congratulate Paula on her greatest hits CD release. Oh. And I hope I get to see if Sanjaya's hair is as glorious live as it was on television. Do you have a question you'd like me to ask one of the judges or contestants if I meet them? Send me an email pronto! dana@mix1051.com

'Drinking Culture Prize'

It was the opening line of this story from South Korea that caught my eye:

On second thought, maybe it was not a good idea to give an award for drinking to local government officials.

You can read the rest of the story HERE.

The Other Final Four

So who's it going to be? We're down to the final four contestants on American Idol so no more fence straddling! If I was a betting woman I'd go with Miss Doolittle (like half the people watching!) Tonight should be entertaining - the Bee Gees.

UPDATE!

Put on your Disco Is Dead t-shirt. I don't think it could have been much worse. I thought Paula and I would be dancing all night long. I expected one ballad from each of the ladies but I was sure they would all have us grooving with the BEE GEES - sheesh.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider(s)

At my last radio station one of my friends came into the on-air studio and told me that all day long she'd felt a strange tickle under her blouse. She figured it was just the fabric of her shirt. Finally a huge spider crawled out. Eww! Still makes my skin crawl just to think about it. I mean what could be worse than that? How about having a pair of spiders living in your ear? It recently happened to a nine year old boy. I'll probably have nightmares about it but he seems to have taken it pretty well! You can read about it HERE. Eww!

You Can't Take It With You

If you found out you only had one year to live what would you do? Give away all of your worldly possessions? Spend like mad? Well that's what happened to one man in England. The only thing is that his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer turned out to be wrong! Would you just be happy to be alive OR would you be miffed that you didn't have a dime to your name? Click HERE to check out his story.

This is what wills are for.

Mum's the word

You've got just over a week to find something fab for your mom (or the mother of your children) for Mother's Day. Here's a LIST of good ideas/bad ideas that can help serve as a guide. One mom got a screen door for Mother's Day (hope it was nicer than the one in the picture!) Call, send a card, or take her to Orlando's Best Brunch.

Did you hear the one about...

...the Washington D.C. judge who is suing his drycleaner for $67 million for losing a prized pair of pants? Apparently he'd hoped to wear them his first day on the bench. Miss that gem? Click HERE, read, and scratch your head. At least that what I did. (That isn't a picture of the pants by the way - those are 'cranky pants' which is what this guy should probably be wearing.)

Love is in the air on Idol

Did you miss THE KISS? Looks like Simon isn't ready to kiss Lakisha goodbye. We'll find out if THE KISS brought her luck or not. Two get sent home tonight. I'll be happy as long as Melinda and Blake are okay.

Video from Operation Freefall

Here's VIDEO from my Operation Freefall skydive. Did wonderful things for my hair!

Spiderman 3 Imax Experience

Spiderman 3 IMAX tickets are on sale now. If you want to see Spiderman on the BIG screen CLICK HERE to get your tickets!

Operation Freefall at Skydive City!

I'll post a link to the live video once it comes in but click below for a glance at my skydiving experience earlier today at Skydive City in Zephyrhills. That's my tandem freefall jump partner Aaron - he was awesome! We did a gainer exit, turns in freefall and a nice stand up landing. Altitude: 13500 - whew! I'm ready for a nap!

Freakout Point

USA Today has an article in today's edition about thrill-seeking CEO's who take risks outside of work that are designed to push them past the freakout point. There's a photo of former CEO of Southwest Airlines Howard Putnam 10,000 feet in the air in the midst of a tandem skydive. It was a good article for me to come across today. I'm not a thrill-seeking CEO but I'll be in Zephyrhills tomorrow morning for my own tandem skydive with SOAR's Operation Freefall. Welcome to my freakout point.

I'll post photos and video as soon as they come in!

And what about our daring duo Scott & Erica? Scott told me he probably would go skydiving and almost did once. Erica said she would probably not go. She'd go parasailing but she's too type A to rely on someone else in a tandem dive (plus she'd want to pack the parachute herself -ha!)

Catches thieves just like flies

Spiderman 3 is already showing in Japan. Here's a review of one the most anticipated movies this summer from the Hollywood Reporter. I only skimmed it in an attempt to avoid any spoilers (and I think there may be a few) but, as you would expect, it looks like Spidey doesn't disappoint!

Running time 139 minutes of webslinging fun.

A Kinder Gentler Idol

Safe!


Safe!

At least for one week. I know some people felt duped by last nights buildup which resulted in all singers being safe for another week but I didn't mind. Probably because I didn't catch Idol last night - ha! (I wasn't feeling well so I watched the inside of my eyelids instead.) I think I might have screamed 'foul!' too if I'd watched it live. I did check out the best Idol recap online though at TV Squad. I'm a Blake fan but I think it will be Melinda and Jordin in the finale.

And so go's Ro

Rosie O'Donnell announced today that she's leaving the View. You can read more about it HERE. (The Donald couldn't resist taking another swipe.) I'm on the air when the View comes on so I never watch (I know, I know - that's what DVR's are for. I always end up with too many shows recorded and not enough time to catch up. Then it gnaws at me like a thing unfinished in my life. I take my DVR-ing very seriously. Kidding.) Anyway this is showbiz so, despite the feud, I'm expecting a Rosie/Donald makeup/merger.

The Devil Wears...You Out

Today is National Administrative Professional's Day! Hopefully your boss went to Hallmark or Cookies by Design or HERE to get you a token of their appreciation.

If not visit BadBossology or Working America or HERE...

...and unload your tale of woe. Or read about boss's who are far worst than yours. And if your boss is great visit their office and tell them how much you appreciate them!

The American Cancer Society Tropical Night Gala 2007

The big winners of the night...the lady with the Tiffany's box (she won a beautiful platinum and diamond necklace during the live auction) and the gentleman with many many many bottles of fine wine (he won the wine toss.) Actually the biggest winner of the night was the American Cancer Society! Thanks to everyone who joined us at Universal's Royal Pacific Resort for the inaugural Tropical Night Gala!!

Mix Snapshot

The Mix studio, our view from the studio (although the blinds are always down), a bunch of stuff on my desk (an organized mess - that's what I tell myself), and the view from my desk (I rarely sit here because I'm always in the studio!)

What was that slightly obscure song you played during the Retro Bistro today?

XTC's Mayor of Simpleton

Reach out and touch Lord Voldemort

The fine folks at IMAX in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada sent me an email yesterday confirming that the last twenty minutes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be digitally converted into an IMAX 3D Experience. Aren't we lucky to have an IMAX theatre in Orlando?



So what's the buzz on the hottest movies of the summer? USA Today has a pretty good run down today. Looks like I'm going to pack in a lot of popcorn this summer.

Make sure you listen to Mix 105.1 and check our website for details on tickets to Mix Movie Premieres!

Goodbye Fiji. Hello...

China!

That's where the next edition of Survivor will take place and you can read all about it HERE! Of all the reality shows (all of them) Survivor is the last one I'd want to participate in. I'm very fond of indoor plumbing.

I'd rather suffer weeks of this -

- than weeks of scavenging for food.

Speaking of AI...for the love of Bonnie Raitt it's time for Sanjaya to go. He'll still sell a million records to the girls who love him so don't feel too bad for the guy. Results show tonight.

I have often walked down this street before

Last week during the Retro Bistro I got a call from a man who wanted to hear Mr. Mister. He said it reminded him of driving down the autobahn (the world's most famous super highways) when he was stationed in Germany. Boy did that bring back memories! I told him that I'm an Air Force brat and my family was stationed at Ramstein, Germany. (We didn't live on the military base though. We lived in a village called Erzenhausen.) We were also stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan and I spent quite a bit of my junior high and high school years walking down this street in Harajuku. I'm pretty sure I even ate at that McDonald's - you can take the girl out of America but you can't take America out of the girl.

If you've ever wondered what life is like for military kids living overseas just give me a ring.

Harajuku

Save Dana Save the World

Visit the Heroes MySpace page for an exclusive preview of the April 23rd episode. Then visit It's Time To Save The World for another scene, plus a sweepstakes where 10 winners will be flown to Los Angeles for a tour of the Heroes set and an advance screening of the ENTIRE April 23rd episode, before it premieres on television.